o was in command of the United
States Army Post at San Diego, refused. For him to cross the line would
be a violation of neutral territory. On Mexican soil he would neither
embarrass the ex-President of Sonora nor aid him; but he saw to it that
if the filibusters reached American soil, no Mexican or Indian should
follow them.

Accordingly, on the imaginary boundary he drew up his troop, and like
an impartial umpire awaited the result. Hidden behind rocks and cactus,
across the hot, glaring plain, the filibusters could see the American
flag, and the gay, fluttering guidons of the cavalry. The sight gave
them heart for one last desperate spurt. Melendrez also appreciated
that for the final attack the moment had come. As he charged, Walker,
apparently routed, fled, but concealed in the rocks behind him he had
stationed a rear-guard of a dozen men. As Melendrez rode into this
ambush the dozen riflemen emptied as many saddles, and the Mexicans and
Indians stampeded. A half hour later, footsore and famished, the little
band that had set forth to found an empire of slaves, staggered across
the line and surrendered to the forces of the United States.

Of this expedition James Jeffrey Roche says, in his "Byways of War,"
which is of all books published about Walker the most intensely and
fascinatingly interesting and complete: "Years afterward the peon
herdsman or prowling Cocupa Indian in the mountain by-paths stumbled
over the bleaching skeleton of some nameless one whose resting-place was
marked by no cross or cairn, but the Colts revolver resting beside
his bones spoke his country and his occupation--the only relic of the
would-be conquistadores of the nineteenth century."

Under parole to report to General Wood, commanding the Department of the
Pacific, the filibusters were sent by sailing vessel to San Francisco,
where their leader was tried for violating the neutrality laws of the
United States, and acquitted.

Walker's first expedition had ended in failure, but for him it had been
an opportunity of tremendous experience, as active service is the best
of all military academies, and for the kind of warfare he was to wage,
the best preparation. Nor was it inglorious, for his fellow survivors,
contrary to the usual practice, instead of in bar-rooms placing the
blame for failure upon their leader, stood ready to fight one and all
who doubted his ability or his courage. Later, after five years, many of
these same men, thoug